Vocabulary Words to Remember

This page gives basic definitions for some important terms that can help you learn about using Fact Monster.

Task 5
Cite: Refer to a source of information, usually in a formal way.

Credible: A source you can trust to provide true information.

Database: A collection of information organized and stored on a computer so it can be quickly and easily searched and sorted.

Hit: A successful match between keywords and Web sites returned by a search engine or directory.

Keyword: A word that is related to a topic in an important way and helps you find more information about the topic.

Paraphrase: Restate an author’s ideas using different words.

Plagiarism: Copying or making slight changes in a written or created work and presenting it as a new or original work.

Research: Study a topic carefully using credible sources.

Search Directory: A Web site that categorizes Web pages by subject to make searching easier.

Search Engine: A program that scans the Internet and creates a database of the words contained in Web sites so users can find Web pages containing specified keywords.

Source: Anything or anyone providing information about a topic.

Summarize: Explain the main points and important details of an author’s ideas.

Task 4
Brainstorm: Think of many possibilities as quickly as you can.

Controversy: Disagreement or argument about an issue among people or groups.

Convergent: Moving toward one direction or having a limited number of answers.

Divergent: Moving in many directions or having many answers.

Evaluative: Requiring judgment to decide among various opinions or answers.

Peer: A person who is similar to another, as in age, grade, or career.

Task 3

Concept (or Idea): A thought that combines specific information into a general statement.

Critical: Careful to evaluate information and draw correct conclusions.

Emotion: Personal feelings that occur naturally without thought.

Ethics: Standards or criteria for acceptable thought and action by an individual or group.

Fallacy: A logical error leading to an incorrect conclusion; also a misleading or deceptive statement or idea.

Interpret: Understand or explain meaning.

Reason: Logical use of objective information to form concepts and draw conclusions.

Subjective: Based on personal feelings and opinions.

Task 2

Deception: Influencing the thoughts or actions of people with false statements or dishonest practices.

E-mail: Electronic messages sent through a computer network; can be sent with other files attached.

Encryption: Coding information so that it can only be understood by an authorized recipient.

Fraud: Deception intended to obtain an unfair or illegal financial or other personal gain.

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol): A set of rules that controls how computers on the Internet exchange hypertext.

HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure): A set of rules that controls how computers on the Internet exchange encrypted information.Hypertext: A method of storing documents on a computer so that related information is connected by links.

Internet: A network that connects millions of computers in more than 100 countries around the world.

Network: A system of computers connected either by wires and cables or wirelessly by antennas and towers.

Password: A secret series of letters, numbers, and symbols used to prove that a person hasthe right to use a computer or access information.

Phish: Attempt to trick computer users into revealing personal information, such as passwords.

Program: A set of instructions for a computer to perform.

Software: Any computer program and any information included with the program.

Spyware: A software program that secretly retrieves information from a computer.

Virus: A software program that can make copies of itself and execute when triggered by some event; usually embedded in another program and intended to damage a computer or network.

Worm: A software program that can make copies of itself and spread over a network without being triggered by an event; usually intended to damage a computer or network.


Task 1
Argument: A logical explanation intended to convince an audience to agree with a particular point of view on an issue.

Audience: The people who read a publication or view a work of art, performance, or presentation.

Conclusion: A judgment, decision, or solution reached for specific reasons.

Data: Information collected by observation or measurement.

Essay: A short written work that makes an important point about a particular topic.

Evidence: Objective information supporting an argument, such as facts, data, and statistics.

Expository: A type of writing that explains a topic or informs an audience.

Fact: Information widely believed to be true and supported by objective data.

First Person: A type of writing that tells a story by using pronouns that refer to the author of the story, such as I and we.

Information: Anything that can be used to create knowledge. For example, words, numbers, images, audio, and video can all contain information.

Issue: An idea or action on which people with different points of view have strong opinions.

Logical: Capable of thinking in a clear and consistent way to draw correct conclusions.

Nonfiction: Any creative work that describes or comments on actual events, such as a newspaper article or biography.

Objective: Able to put aside personal feelings and opinions.

Opinion: Beliefs that may or may not be supported by facts.

Persuasive: A type of writing intended to influence the thoughts or actions of an audience.

Point of View: The way a person tends to think about people, places, and events based on individual experiences.

Quote: Use another person’s exact words.

Statistics: Facts and data that can be represented by numbers; also the study of numerical facts and data.

Third Person: A type of writing that tells a story by using pronouns that refer to a character in the story, such as he, she, or they.